Lights go out at La Rondalla, longtime Mission dining spot

La Rondalla, popular Mission District restaurant, is closing its doors for the second time.

La Rondalla, popular Mission District restaurant, is closing its doors for the second time.

Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle

Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle

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La Rondalla, popular Mission District restaurant, is closing its doors for the second time.

La Rondalla, popular Mission District restaurant, is closing its doors for the second time.

Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle

Lights go out at La Rondalla, longtime Mission dining spot

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La Rondalla, a beloved fixture of the Mission District for decades, has closed once again.

According to Carlos Barrios, whose family has owned and operated the restaurant for generations, the closure is indefinite, though he hopes to reopen at some point.

“This is our legacy. I hope we learn from our mistakes,” said Barrios, adding that business “was going up for a while, but then it sort of stabilized.”

This latest chapter in La Rondalla’s history, full of uncertainty, may follow a familiar trope for neighborhood denizens.

The old-school restaurant, on Valencia and 20th streets for more than 60 years, was a raucous, popular place, known as much for its mariachi bands, constellations of Christmas lights and strong margaritas as for its Mexican American food.

In 2007, the health department shut down the restaurant, and it took seven years for the Barrios family to secure funding and renovate the place. During that time, signs regularly graced the restaurant’s front windows, promising an imminent return, seemingly on an annual basis.